We check in with people at each stage of the cash transfer process to see how things are going. Take a look at some of their stories as they appear here in real-time.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($528 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
With the transfers from GiveDirectly, I was able to expand my dairy project by buying a heifer worth KES 25000. I believe that it will be calving soon and my family will get enough milk for our consumption and sale to earn an income. I will be using this money to pay for my children's education and to meet some of our basic needs. Also, I have been able to build a decent house for my family. We had been living in a grass thatched house with weak walls and leaking roofs. Because of this, our beddings would at times get soaked in rainwater whenever it rained when no one was at home. Having achieved all this makes my life different from how it would have been had I not received the transfers.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well by giving everyone a financial aid without any discrimination and I do not see anything that they did not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
When I received my second transfer, I spent a good amount from it to pay school fees for my children. I settled on this so that they would not be sent back home. I am now glad since they have ample time for their studies and they will no longer miss their classes. As a way of investing this money, I bought a goat for rearing. When it reproduces, I will be selling the offsprings and use the money to pay school fees for my children. I used the remaining amount to buy food and other household necessities for my family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($542 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am now a happy and contented person. This is because my family now dress decently and have enough food for consumption. Also, being able to build a decent kitchen for my family is an achievement for my family. I am now at peace since our items will no longer get soaked with rainwater during the rainy season. Also, our living room will always be clean since we will no longer be turning it into a kitchen anymore.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was woken up by a message alert on my phone early in the morning. Upon reading its content, I became so happy and grateful to GiveDirectly for the support. I knew that my family would finally have a decent kitchen.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
When I received my first transfer, I spent some amount on my home improvement. I bought some building materials majorly house poles, timber, 20 pieces of iron sheets and also paid a mason the full cost of construction. I settled on building a kitchen for my family since the one we were using was in a pathetic condition. Its roof was always leaking and we were forced to turn our living room into the kitchen whenever it rained since our kitchen would get flooded with the rainwater. Also, I bought a cow worth KES 25000 as a way of investing this money. When it reproduces, I will be selling milk to earn an income. I will be using this money to pay for my children's education. I spent the remaining amount to buy some basic needs for my family. I bought two sacks of maize, new clothes and shoes.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will be able to rebuild my houses.Both my kitchen and main house are very old and I have always wanted to renew them.I have not been able to do this because there is never any money at hand for such.We have had to bear with leaking roofs during the rainy seasons.I also intend to buy some sheep with a part of the transfer.Having these sheep will ensure that there is always an asset that can come in handy for sale whenever an urgent need for money arises.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I wake up early everyday to work in the farm.There,I mostly till or weed crops in it.When I am done,I proceed to look for feeds for my cows before watering them.These two activities are what I enjoy most because they have literally been my employer-It is through it that every coin my household has ever handled comes from.Therefore morning to mid day is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Raising school fees for my children has always been a challenge to me.Both my spouse and I are just subsistence farmers.The piece of land we inherited from our parents is not enough to grow crops for sale in order to earn an income.When our three children were in secondary school,it was one struggle after another;from growing vegetables to selling the little milk that could have been consumed by the younger children.The costs of education are constantly going up every year and without a source of income it is quite difficult to cope.This is the biggest hardship I have faced.
